92 STUDIES IN INSECT LIFE, ETC. 

 that under them is a vast layer of water of varying 

 depth sparsely inhabited by a few fish. As a 

 matter of fact the whole of this great ocean is 

 teeming with life. If instead of taking ship we 

 could take to the water and walk across the bed 

 of the Atlantic to America, starting from the 

 shores of Western Europe, we should in effect be 

 travelling through a succession of new countries. 

 Not only would the surrounding physical condi- 

 tions vary as we advanced, but the animal and 

 plant life would vary in correlation with the alter- 

 ing physical conditions. We should soon leave 

 behind us the larger seaweeds of our childhood's 

 seaside visits, such as the bladder-wrack, and the 

 belt of mussels, barnacles, limpets, periwinkles, dog- 

 whelks and small Crustacea, sea-anemones and 

 worms, which for the most part inhabit the sea- 

 beach between the upper and the lower level of 

 the tide. Just about the limit of low water of 

 high spring tides we should encounter a somewhat 

 richer fauna and flora. In place of the bladder- 

 wrack we should find Laminaria ; blennies, 

 bogies, and other small fish, together with the 

 larger Crustacea such as crabs and lobsters, 

 hermit-crabs and prawns would replace the 

 shore -fauna. Clams and scallops would also 



